Infectus

It has only been one year since twenty-year-old Rein Pierson boarded a ship to America in an effort to escape her fearful past. It was there, on that fated ship, that Rein met the mysterious Traith Harker, who would end up as her undoingand her salvation. Rein and Traith fought off evil then, and they found love in one other.The year is now 1844. Rein learned Traiths dark secrethis vampire natureand she is now one of his kind. Together, they believe they can face any dark foe as they look into a bright future, filled with passion. Perhaps, as immortals, together Rein and Traith can live normal lives. They could never guess that someone has other plans for them.A series of murders sweeps the English coast. Somehow, the deaths involve an ancient evil, hell bent on ruining lives. Plans for a regular, happily married life soon fade as Rein and Traith realize they must fight this foe. The vampires are humanitys only hope, but their battle may yet end in tragedy.

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Infectusthe incomplete. the darkened. the corrupt.By kelly varesioiUniverse, Inc.Copyright © 2012 Kelly VaresioAll right reserved.ISBN: 978-1-4697-4647-0Chapter One Taverin was finally home. She opened the curtains to the beautiful French mansion, smiling as she felt the warmth of the sun's rays shine on her face. She opened the window and inhaled the cool, winter air. The chill that filled her lungs felt wondrous. Especially since she had been feeling so sick of late. It was 1844—a new year. And she planned to make the most of it. William, the only boy she'd ever loved, proposed to her not a day ago. As she glanced down at the beautiful silver ring on her left hand, she couldn't help but giggle. The fact that she was only sixteen marrying a near twenty-one-year-old really didn't matter; she had no pompous family to mind about her age. Rein was her sister, the only person whose opinion meant anything. Rein would tell her to follow her heart. She hadn't even told Rein of her engagement yet—she was on her honeymoon. Wiping her hands on a napkin, Taverin turned from the parlor and headed back into the dining room, trying to shake the nagging sickness that had plagued her stomach for over a month. Regardless, she was more than happy—she was back in Cherbourg, the beautiful town she'd grown up in. She had nearly forgotten the terror she'd been through within the past year. She was relieved to be living a normal life, with normal people. She wanted to forget about vampires as well as she could ... though that endeavor was impossible. She still had to tell William someday. Somehow. A good two months had gone by since she had moved in with Catherine Treau, her best friend and William's older sister. Although during the Napoleonic battles Cherbourg was heavily damaged, France had in the last thirty years build that town up to be one of the prettiest places in all the country. It was strange for her to think about how her only family was from France's rival country, England, and proud of it, yet she was the opposite: the French-raised daughter of an Englishman and a French gypsy. But she embraced that; she couldn't hate England no matter how patriotic she was. England saved her in the sense that her father took her there and saved her from life on the streets of France—the life she would've had after her horrid mother died ... "Taverin, that feels so much better!" Marques, William's older brother, proclaimed from the dining room table. "Feel the wind? Air circulation, so much better ..." They were in the middle of having dinner together: she and the four Treau siblings who lived together in the massive estate left to them by their late parents. William, Catherine, Marques, and their younger sister Margarete occupied the house, which made for a lively home. Taverin took a seat next to William, who was intently cutting his roast. His auburn hair was tied back very neatly, his hazel eyes perfectly delighted at her return beside him. "Only for a short while, though, Marqu," Taverin said. "After all, no matter how stuffy it is in here, it is still winter, therefore cold." "And as ill as she's been feeling, I doubt if too much is good for her," Will said as he took a bite off his fork. "Are you all right, pet?" She nodded with a smile. She adored that name he had for her. She adored him. "So have you told your sister about your engagement, yet, Taverin?" Margarete, the more inquisitive of the two sisters, asked. "I haven't spoken with her yet, but I will as soon as I can." "Where is she again?" questioned Catherine. "Just gone for her honeymoon?" Taverin nodded, taking her first bite of the delicious roast. "I have yet to meet Rein myself," William said after taking a drink. "Or her new husband. But I can only imagine they're very kind persons, by word of Taverin. Although British." Indiscreet snickering ensued. William was allowed to joke about England, but Taverin made it clear that joking was to be light. She had to make that clear, with a brother-in-law as patriotic as Traith. A laugh slipped out in thinking about that ... "So ... is Rein's husband blind, Taverin?" Marques asked, his dark, slicked-back hair falling out of place as he leaned forward. "I mean, I did hear that from a flibbertigibbet." "Marques!" William declared. "What sport have you in poking fun at dear Cat?" "Oh, leave me alone, both of you, brutish brothers." Catherine smiled through a sip of her wine. "I only repeated what I was told." "Well, is the man blind?" young Margarete reiterated her brother's question. "He was." Marques chuckled, wiping his mouth of excess food. "Where would they go then for their honeymoon if he couldn't very well see it?" "Why would she marry a blind man?" Margarete questioned under her breath. Catherine elbowed her. "He was blind," Taverin said, "but he's regaining his sight. To everyone's happiness, especially my sisters, he gained a fraction of it back just during his wedding. He saw her. So romantic, it all was ..." "Amazing," Will said, happily chewing on a piece of meat. "Lord-willing he gets all his vision returned him. That uncertainty must be a terrible thing to deal with." "He wasn't supposed to get his sight back at all until somewhere from one to ten years went by," Taverin continued, feeding off their interest. "It is definitely a miracle." "My," Margarete spoke in a daze, fork rested on her plate. "How do doctor's know these things? Numbers so precise as to count the years ..." "Does your sister or her husband have any family? Other than you?" "Well, Traith has a sister named Ana," Taverin answered. "That's it." "My." "Only one sibling?" "His name is what?" Taverin laughed. "His name is Traith. Not sure where it's from." "Where did they go for their honeymoon, by the way?" Catherine asked. "Oh, a place Rein's always wanted to visit," Taverin answered, sighing dreamily in thought of her sister. "America." She wondered what, at that moment, Rein was doing as a newlywed ... Chapter Two "So it was your favorite cat, hmm?" She giggled as his finger toyed with a lock of her hair. "Definitely my favorite," he said. "I found Sophie when I was ... nine, I think? Something like that ... a sweet little grey thing. My sister tended to get irascible because she always wanted to play with me, and the cat took up most of my time. She hated Sophie because of that." "Did you name the cat?" "Yes, I did," he murmured with a chuckle. "I always liked the name Sophie for a cat. Don't know why." "Just for a cat?" He nodded, shuffling beneath the covers. "I don't fancy it much for a person." She yawned and stretched, his bare body entwined with hers, his breath against her neck. He couldn't keep his hands off her. She loved that. Loved him. It had only been a day since she'd gotten married. Married. One day. It had to be nearly four o'clock in the morning, but it was hard to tell time with the curtains drawn and the lights out. The blankets were so soft, and the bed was filled with feathers. A small bookshelf was in their hotel room, and a table. But they'd gotten there around six o'clock the previous night, and after slight unpacking, the first thing they did was get into bed. She'd gotten no sleep since then, and neither had he ... She laughed and hugged him. "You're my husband, Traith!" she said blissfully. "I found my true love and married him only yesterday!" He returned the embrace. "I wonder if he knows about this affair you've been having." She gave him a crooked smile, and he laughed. She laid her head against his chest. His lips caught hers, and she melted. "Quite a ..." he dipped in, "steamy affair, at that ..." She sighed, drawing her finger up and down his chest. "So since you're warmed up ... tell me more about your childhood." She completely relaxed her body, curling into him. "Other than Sophie, you haven't told me anything of your past. I know there were some pleasant memories." "What do you want to know? It wasn't that exciting. In fact it was very normal." "Honestly ... did you ever meet a girl?" she asked. "Already suspicious, Rein?" She merely smirked; he returned the gesture and continued. "No, no girls. There were those who tried, I suppose, but ... I found that I didn't seem to be the type meant for love. No lady seemed to have the right intentions in mind, or at least intentions near to my own. Mostly then it was about dowery and prestige, and because my family had money I was ... an asset. I couldn't find anyone looking for something real; thought for a while that perhaps my expectations were too high. And it was the Baroque era, at any rate, so everything was about appearance. Mine, I suppose, was considered ... desirable, in a manner of speaking. Even though I was one of the only men who refused to wear a wig." "Don't trip over your words," she said, biting her lip with a smile. "You are allowed to mention you're far from ugly. It isn't a crime." "No, seriously. I don't think I had a scar on me. Maybe one or two, from stupid things I'd done as a child. I was more refined than rough, like now." He sighed. "You know, I don't really want to talk about me anymore." "Do you think I don't believe you?" she grinned. "You still are refined. Your self-esteem is terrible and I simply can't understand why." She snuggled into him, and his hand stroked her cheek. "Were you always so quiet?" "I think so." "I'm glad I caught you." He merely smiled. His fingers brushed down her arm underneath the veil of sheet. "Stopped me in my tracks and drew my eyes away from books, which is quite hard to do. Enchanting, before you had a single inhuman ability." She started laughing. "Oh, we're actually here, Traith!" she exclaimed with her last burst of energy, flopping to her back. Her voice softened. "I knew I would get here eventually." He was silent. Exhaustion was finally beginning to hit the both of them. It was the first moment all night that they had laid still. "I don't want this night to end," she finished. "Neither do I." "I love you," she whispered in his ear. "And I you," he answered as he grew still. "More than you could imagine, Rein." He had stopped moving, she could feel. Asleep. Her eyes were getting heavy, too ... It was so strange to think that not even a year ago she had been on her way here, to the United States. So excited, with Saria. Of course, the trip had taken a little longer than she had expected, and she had lost so much ... but the prize she'd picked up on her way gave her a good deal of comfort. Traith Harker ... her husband, now ... All slowly went dark, and her thoughts wandered ... Chapter Three She stretched underneath the blankets and opened her eyes dreamily. It took a second for her to realize where she was; satin drapes, marble tables, and melted candles made up their grand hotel room in New Jersey, not far from Philadelphia or New York. Though she didn't particularly like cities, the thought of finally being there filled her with bliss. Actually near to the London of the United States, where she was finally able to forget that she was a vampire and simply enjoy being Traith Harker's new wife. She tightened her arms around her pillow and watched him—her husband. He was awake, seated at the table, naked from the waist up with battle-honed muscles covering every inch of him. He was so—perfect. She felt she didn't deserve him. How fortunate she was. And now, he was hers and she was his, officially. Their marriage. Their wedding. The happiest day of her life. And to top off the beauty of it all, just before the ceremony Traith regained his sight. A small part of it, anyway; his vision was still blurry and dark, but he could at least tell where he was going. What touched her the most about the wedding, more than the bliss she felt at exchanging vows, was how Traith acted afterward. That whole day—the whole rest of the day after the wedding, he wouldn't stop describing her. Her wedding dress, her hair, her face; he made her feel so beautiful. She must've been a haze at best, but that bit of detail meant everything to him. And if only for a day, Traith seemed to forget his torturous past ... the murder of his parents that ruled his mind at the slightest mention. He was beginning to accept it, finally. Or perhaps just beginning to swallow it. But still, it was a step in the right direction. His deep, frustrated sigh brought her back to reality. There was an open book in his hands; he was trying to read. Already, trying to read. It intrigued her how someone like Traith could be such an avid reader, but it did make sense—reading was probably all he had to do on that ship, for a hundred plus years. Learning things, whatever things he could. She was never quite as passionate as he seemed to be about reading, but she did love to write. Poetry, stories, accounts. All of which she kept to herself, really, but she had them ... He noticed she was awake. "Morning," he said, slapping the book shut with his thumb and other finger, tossing it on the table. "Morning," she said with a hoarse voice, rubbing her eyes. "What are you doing?" "Trying to read, but I can't see the words well enough." She happened to notice an empty vial thrown beneath his chair, and the sight of the blood-tinged glass amplified the dryness in her throat. For once she didn't want to feel like a vampire. Just for a fortnight, for their honeymoon, she wanted to forget. "Well, Traith," she breathed, swallowing her bloodlust. "Already addled. Your sight isn't returned yet, that's a given. You got some back just yesterday, one step at a time, my love." "It's just that all the pages look like grey blobs," he said, leaning his elbows on the table. "When I saw your face, even the tiniest bit, you seemed so clear to me. I thought my sight was coming back, but instead since yesterday I think it got bloody worse. Maybe it was some freak accident that I saw you yesterday and my sight'll decline again to blackness for the remainder of ten years. All I know is that I didn't make that all up, about—" "I know you didn't," Rein cut him off, sitting up from the bed, holding the covers around her naked body. "I must commend you on such a positive outlook." It was hard to console him. Even though she had the power to do nearly anything she wanted with the mind, whatever was in the poison that hit him had a sort of wall that even she couldn't break through. She'd tried; she spent hours trying to work through his head, but it was like she was entirely, mentally powerless on him. Ana knew what she could do ... "How long have you been up?" she asked, trying to get off the subject of his sight. "A while." He held his eyes and swore softly to himself. "What?" "The way they hurt is just strange." He partially smiled. "I've never had pain last so damn long, that's all. I hate this sulking, I don't mean it." "I'd rather you vent than keep it to yourself," she said softly to him, leaving the bedside. "I'm glad you tell me." "So you forgive me, then," he replied with his ever sarcastic tone. "This ordeal is just most unpleasant." "So why have you been up awhile?" She paused. "Had another nightmare, didn't you?" "Yes," he said curtly. She felt a little helpless. He was just starting to feel happy, but with nightmare reminders and sight on his mind again, she could already feel his graveness returning. He had nightmares near every night. If not about Ana then about his parents, his physical torment, the childhood and adolescence that he longed to have lived unscathed. Most of the time he told her nothing of them. But she could always see it translated in his every morning move. "What about this time?" she asked reluctantly. His voice quivered. "Hell." Her eyes opened further, losing all their sleepiness. "Traith ..." He shook his head. She wasn't quite sure how to respond. He'd spoken about the subject only once, ever, to her, and it harbored such terrible memories in him that he kept his description vague. She had lived the murder of his parents. She had seen pieces of his childhood through his sister. She had seen, felt, heard ... but she hadn't known what was happening. Somehow, that span of time before he was bitten, when he was with Helena ... it was something Ana never knew about, so neither did she. The only part she saw from Traith himself was the cell and the transformation, and that was only by accident; she had only Ana's point of view of anything else. (Continues...) Excerpted from Infectusby kelly varesio Copyright © 2012 by Kelly Varesio. Excerpted by permission of iUniverse, Inc.. All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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